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History · Central Township

21% of Central Township’s homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1886 on.

0on the National Register
21%homes built before 1940
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What stands out about Central Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Central Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18865 editions of the USGS map, 1886 to 1991. Watch Central Township change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Central Township, and 2 old place names are still on the map.Old housesHalf of Central Township’s homes were built before 1956.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Central Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Central Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Central Township on the map, 1886 to 1991

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Central Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Central Township on the 1886 USGS mapCentral Township on the 1894 USGS mapCentral Township on the 1962 USGS mapCentral Township on the 1986 USGS mapCentral Township on the 1991 USGS map1886Nevada sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Central Township.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Barton
1869–1880
Iantha
1881–1985
18601940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
IanthaWimmer
Gone or out of use
Central SchoolschoolCross Roads SchoolschoolFarmer SchoolschoolHaines Grove SchoolschoolHornadaylocalePrairie Star SchoolschoolWest Union Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Central Township
Iantha

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story so far

Central Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Central Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Central Township is a township in Barton County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 512. The township was named for its location near the geographical center of Barton County.

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 561 to 521 (-7%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Central Township, 1869 to 1985

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1869Post officeThe Barton post office opens
  3. 1880Post officeThe Barton post office closes
  4. 1881Post officeThe Iantha post office opens
  5. 1886On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1985Post officeThe Iantha post office closes
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

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Famous people

Famous people close to Central Township

Nobody well known was born in Central Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Harlow ShapleyAmerican astronomer · b. 1885
Frank D. WilliamsAmerican cinematographer · b. 1893
Johnny OrrAmerican basketball player and coach · b. 1927
N
Neva AbelsonPhysician · b. 1910
Bob HarmonAmerican baseball player · b. 1887
Blaine DurbinAmerican Major League Baseball player · b. 1886
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Ozark TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townLamar TownshipIts storyCNashville TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBarton City TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townUnion TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townNorthfork TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Central Township’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.